Our Team

Jennifer Persson, Founder - Jennifer has been an Ocean lover her entire life and is thrilled to be leading the charge for Ocean Grants.  Formerly a Silicon Valley licensing lawyer and entrepreneur, she brings 25 years of research, writing and fund raising experience to Ocean Grants.  Her charitable involvements include National Charity League, StandUp for Kids, OneSource Empowering Caregivers and Reef.org.  Jennifer's undergraduate degree is from Stanford University and her law degree is from Santa Clara University.  Some of her favorite Ocean  adventures include diving with Hammerhead Sharks on the Great Barrier Reef, petting Gray Whales in San Ignacio Lagoon, and snorkeling with Sea Lions in the Galapagos.  In her free time, Jennifer enjoys scuba diving, beach combing, paddle boarding, yoga and prehistoric shark toothing.  She is passionate about supporting and accelerating the progress of the hard working people attempting to solve various Ocean challenges.  

Cassie Benson, VP Communications - Falling in love with the ocean came early for Cassie and has never waned. She has spent the past 24 years carrying around her dive card exploring the deep blue and the shallow greens. Her travels have allowed her to swim with sharks, hover over teeny nudibranch and explore the hollow bellies of sunken ships. She has seen the rapid decline in fish populations and reef health. Currently, she volunteers her time to the Better Business Bureau Northwest + Pacific and Project Aware. Cassie joined the Ocean Grants team to help them share the message of ocean conservation, visually. She holds a B.S. in Graphic Design from Full Sail University.

Simone Nix, Social Media & Events Manager - Simone is an undergraduate at the University of Miami, majoring in Marine Biology and Communication Studies. She has a deep passion for the ocean, and all of its inhabitants. As an advanced rescue diver, with eight PADI scuba licenses and certifications, she spends a lot of time in the water. Over the summer, Simone worked on an extensive three-week beach cleanup and turtle protection project in Costa Rica. She is the social media manager for the show “Pulse” on University of Miami Television, and creates visual, digital ad campaigns for the fashion company, SMHR+. She volunteers at several nonprofits, including Neighbor’s Link, UNICEF, and the Miami Marine Mammal Rescue Team.  

Chad Scott, Marine Ecologist and Conservationist - Although a native of the Rocky Mountains, he fell in love with the coral reef while doing an undergraduate thesis at the university. From there, he started the New Heaven Reef Conservation Program in 2007. In 2020, that program was evaluated as one of the world's most successful long-term coral restoration programs. From there, Chad went on to found the non-profit Conservation Diver in 2014. Conservation Diver is a global training and educational organization seeking to facilitate others in starting their own marine resource management program, providing educational materials, accreditation, funding, and mentorships. As such, he prioritizes spending much of his time sharing knowledge and empowering younger generations to find or create for themselves a career involving marine science, protection, and restoration.

Mike Davis, Director - Mike's experience includes marketing, product management, business development, partner relations and engineering with Moblyng Games, Rocket Mobile, AOL and Netscape.  Most recently, he's led the development of mobile apps including games, streaming video social media, mapping, news and commerce.  Mike's long been a fan of the Ocean beginning with weekly trips to Santa Cruz as a child and followed by decades of recreational surfing.  Mike and his wife are active volunteers with 4-H, Girl Scouts and other local youth organizations.  Mike holds a MBA from Santa Clara University and a BS Engineering degree from San Jose State.   

Claire LaBrunerie, Director - As a management consultant with BrightPath Strategies, Claire LaBrunerie serves a mix of domestic and international clients, including both corporations and not-for-profit organizations seeking to design and implement sustainability and fundraising initiatives. Claire has deep professional experience in several practice areas, including private sector capital markets, private fund launches and distribution, global impact investing (with gender, climate change, and agri specializations), commercial real estate development and global NPL workouts, and M&A integration projects. Claire has a B.A. in International Relations from Stanford University, an M.A. from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. In her spare time, Claire is an environmental advocate, serving on the Boards of Ocean Grants and Ocean Grants Foundation and working as a UNESCO World Heritage consultant for the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.

Kellie Engelmeier, Director of Recommended Organizations for Plastic - Kellie is a life-long lover of the outdoors. She graduated from SUNY Brockport in 2013 with a bachelor's degree in Social Work and spent the following years working in non-profit organizations serving older adults. After a career break spent hiking the Appalachian Trail, she gained a deeper understanding of humans' impact as they interact with the environment. Kellie brings her knowledge of non-profits and grant administration to Ocean Grants by supporting the identification of organizations doing outstanding work to positively impact oceans.